Keep On
by smalldreams
Summary: Everyone has a past, everyone has feelings. It's who we choose to open up to that will get us through.


OK, just putting this up here to see if anyone is actually interested in reading it. This chapter goes out to Kasey thanks for helping me with it and all of your feedback. I appreciate it.

Let me know what you think.

Chapter One.

"_Always remember that the future comes one day at a time."_ - **Dean Acheson**

Brooke Davis had been watching the elderly couple next door move in new beds, cupboards and other furniture. They had lived in there since she could remember and it had always just been the two of them, so it looked as if someone else was moving in with them. She sat on the windowsill wondering who would be moving next door, if someone was actually moving in of course. Maybe it would be a cute boy? Boys, she really didn't have time for them anyway she pondered to herself. This thought bought her to her school work, which she still was yet to complete. She wondered why on earth students needed homework anyway; they were already at school six hours, five days a week. She was sure that was enough for the brain to handle. She REALLY didn't want to go today. Maybe she could ask her neighbours if they needed help moving in the new stuff, or maybe she wouldn't. She knew she wouldn't. She glanced over at the alarm near her bed, eight forty five already? She would be late. Again.

When she arrived at school she noticed everyone out on the field, obviously it was a fire drill. Awesome. She walked down to the field and noticed the curly blonde locks of one of her friends Peyton and standing next to her was Haley. The three girls had been friends since they could remember; their fathers were all in some sort of fishing group or something. She wasn't sure on the exact details so to speak.

She snuck up behind both of them, put her head between theirs and said in her most scary voice she could muster, "Boo."

Haley jumped, Peyton didn't. "You could have at least acted scared, you know?" She teased at her friend.

"Well you aren't exactly very quiet when you sneak up on people. You know?" Peyton sarcastically bit back at her.

"Well note to self, be quieter when trying to scare your two best friends." She laughed. "What's with the drill?"

"Who knows?" Haley said. "We've been out here for twenty minutes already though; my legs are staring to hurt from standing."

"Why is everyone standing then? There's perfectly good grass waiting for us."

"Oh, Principal Turner's rules, we have to stand because if we sit we get distracted more easily." Peyton told her.

"I see. Where is everyone?" She asked.

"There," Brooke watches her friend Haley look around. "Actually I have no idea."

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Principal Turner yelled over the crowded students. "This drill is over; please proceed to your first class of the day. Thank you for your cooperation."

"What do we have first?" Peyton asked as the three girls weaved through the crowds of teenagers.

"English." Haley smiled.

"Ah, fun." Brooke replied sarcastically.

"Come on, it won't be that bad."

"We'll see..."

Chris was not from a small town, he was from the city. He didn't mind change, he really didn't he just hated why he had to move here to begin with, and hoped that he wouldn't be called to the front of the classroom today.

"Everyone take their seats." The teacher called. "OK first things first. We have a new student today. Chris Keller, welcome."

Or he would. He shuffled his way into the classroom with his head down.

"Would you like to come up here, and introduce yourself?"

"Sure." He muttered, but really he'd be happy sitting in the back corner of the classroom by himself. He walked to the front of the room and looked at all the faces that had probably known each other for their entire lives.

"My name is Chris Keller." He muttered. "I just moved here, with my grandparents. Um, yeah..." He walked back to his seat and realized that he'd more than likely just made a complete dick of himself. He wanted to go back to the city, back to his parents and back to his old life. But that was never going to happen.

At lunch he looked around the cafeteria and felt more of a need to sit outside in the sun. As he was looking for a table, he noticed all the smiling faces in all of their little groups. He saw a large oak tree and walked over and sat under it. He got out his notepad and started writing. The only thing he knew how to do at this point in time. First days always suck, he said to himself. Things will get better, he sighed. He was starting to believe that this was the biggest lie.

Everyone was smiling and happy in there group, just like they always were. But Brooke couldn't get her mind of the new kid in her English class. She didn't know why, but he looked broken. He had the most piercing blue eyes she'd ever seen before, but they weren't glowing. She wondered why. She was also considering the fact that he could quite possibly be her new neighbour. It was rare new people ever came to this town.

"Where's your head at?" Haley asked her.

"Oh, um just on the English homework." She smiled.

"I can help you if you need it." She said.

"It's OK Hales; you have your own students from the tutor centre to work with anyway."

"Sooo, the new boy is hot!" Bevin, another of Brooke's group of friends asked.

"Bevin." Nathan said. "You realize that you are sitting on Skills' lap right?" He laughed.

"Yeah, I'm just saying. He is smoking."

Everyone laughed; she always could lighten a mood.

"Yeah, he's smokin' alright. But you know what, keep your slutty paws off of him, I've got dibs."

"Rachel, nobody cares what you think. Got it?" Peyton got up and said to her.

"I just wanted to let you know. I'm sure everyone values their faces, so keep away or you'll need a nose job." The tall red head sneered.

"You know Rachel." Brooke said. "He probably doesn't even want you. Have you even spoken to him yet?"

"Why? Have you already slept with him?" Theresa smirked.

"Excusme?" Brooke got up.

"Oh forget it." Rachel snickered and they both walked away.

"Are you OK?" Haley asked when Brooke sat down.

"Fine." Brooke muttered. She grabbed her bag and got up. "I'll meet you guys in Maths after lunch OK? I have to run over some cheers with Alexa."

They all said goodbye and she headed over to the gymnasium. She was sure she'd be there. As she was walking someone bumped into her knocking her to the ground, her books going everywhere. She was about to yell at the person to tell them to watch where they were going, but her hurt hazel eyes met hurting blue and she stopped herself.

"I'm sorry." He muttered.

"It's OK." She smiled. "I wasn't watching where I was going." He was picking up her books for her. "You don't have to do that."

"It's fine, no big deal." He smiled and walked away.

Dammit he thought to himself. Why do Cheerleaders always have to be so pretty? With her pretty hazel eyes, and perfectly glossed lips and shiny brown hair. Stop, he told himself. You swore it; you swore you'd never go near a Cheerleader again. They are trouble, they are slutty and they are bitchy and horrid, just no.

"Hi." A tall girl with red hair smiled at him as he walked to his locker.

"Um, hi." He said.

"I'm Rachel. And you are?" She asked.

"Chris." and if you were listening in class, you'd already know that.

"I saw you talking to Brooke." She said.

"And Brooke is?" He asked although he already had a feeling.

"Your worst nightmare." She linked her arm through his. "She's a bitch, she's super ugly without make-up, or just all the time anyway and she's a whore. Slept with every guy on the basketball team. And probably the football team too. You don't want to go there."

Chris was astounded. Was this girl for real?

"Who said I was?" He asked.

"I seen the way the two of you locked eyes. She does it with them all, bumps into them, makes them feel bad, has her way with them and brushes them off."

"I see."

"So what is your next class?"

_Don't we all have the same?_ He thought sarcastically to himself. "Maths."

"Oh, what a coincidence mine is too. I'll walk you."

"Ok. Sure." So off he went, with some red head to another class. The one good thing about this school, you shared the same classes with everyone, so you didn't have to introduce yourself in every class.

"Welcome to Maths Mr. Keller." The teacher said to him as he walked in with Rachel. "I'm Mr. Lawrence. I'll get you to take a seat over by the window next to Brooke. We have a seating plan here. I'm sure you don't mind being separated from Miss. Gatina?"

"Nope, that is fine." He answered as he watched Rachel stalk off.

"Well off you go. There is already a new text book on the desk for you."

"Thank you." He smiled and walked to his seat.

He sat down and smiled at Brooke. She did a sort of awkward wave thing, and he did the same. As he waved to her he noticed Rachel giving an evil eye to Brooke. Or, at least he thought it was to Brooke. There was only one way to find out. Plus, being seated at the back of the classroom had its advantages.

He ripped a bit of paper out of his work book and scribbled on it.

_**Hi, I hear your name is Brooke.**_

He passed it over to her; he looked over and saw her smile as she scribbled something in return.

_**You know my name, how interesting.  
Chris, right?**_

At least she knew his name.

_**That is correct.  
I've heard some things about you.**_

She raised an eyebrow and looked over at him. He smirked.

_**All good I hope?**_

He laughed.

_**Not so much.  
Unless of course Rachel is your best friend?**_

He looked over to her, curious to see her reaction to this, because this could explain Rachel's behaviour.

_**NO! NO! NO!  
That's enough to give a girl a nightmare.**_

He smirked.

_**That explains some things.  
Happy problem solving...**_

_That was weird_, Brooke thought to herself. But Chris seemed really nice. He's heard some things about me hey. From Rachel Gatina, well that can't be good. The bell rang and she jumped. Mr. Lawrence was finishing up saying something. Who knows what? She probably missed the homework assignment again.

She looked up and saw Chris walking out the door. She quickly shoved her things in her bag and rushed past everyone to catch up to him. She wanted to know what Rachel said. She stopped walking when she noticed Rachel talking to him already, and he was smiling.

She smiled to herself; she was the biggest flirt in the whole school. And he looked uncomfortable.

She felt someone link her arm with hers, she looked up. It was Bevin.

"Ready for practice?" Bevin asked.

"I'm always ready." Brooke smiled at her.

She and Bevin, along with Peyton and Haley headed to the gym for Cheerleading practice. It was her one escape from Rachel and her little posse of football cheering sluts.

***

Chris had zoned out on Rachel's conversation before it had even started. He couldn't care less about football or cheerleading, in fact he really couldn't care less about any sport, or anything at the moment. He watched all the students head off to their little after school clubs, as he walked through the halls of his new high school. He walked out the front doors of the school and was about to get the bus home but noticed his Grandfather standing at the front of an immaculate condition navy blue coupe with white stripes not that far down the road. He got in the car and shut the door.

"This is yours?" He said to his Grandfather.

"Well no. Your Grandmother and I already both have quite nice cars." He smiled back at Chris.

He sighed. He would have loved the chance to be able to just drive one of these. It was in such nice condition.

"But it is yours." He heard his Grandfather say.

"Wh. Wh. What?" He stammered.

"It's yours." His Grandfather beamed.

"You're serious?" Chris said still in shock.

"Well someone has to drive it now that I've bloody well brought it."

"I, I don't know what to say." He said. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Just don't crash the thing. Now I've got to get over to basketball practice, you'll be fine getting home won't you?"

"Yeah, I'm going to stop by the music store before I go home anyway." He explained to his Grandfather.

"You sure you don't want to stop by training? You could give it a go you know."

"I'm not really the sporting type. But thanks for the offer; I'll see you at home."

"Drive carefully Chris."

He looked up at his Grandfather. "I will."

Chris had completely forgotten that his Grandfather coached the High School basketball team. He hadn't forgotten on purpose, he just didn't want to bring it up and cause tension. He wasn't into sports, he never had been and he really admired his Grandfather so he didn't want to let the old man down.

He put the keys in the ignition and started the car up. It sounded amazing, whoever owned this car must have loved it. He drove his way through the streets of his new town, getting a feel for the place. He got into the main street looking for the music store. He noticed it a little further down the road. He parked the car and headed into the store.

A scrawny looking guy was sitting behind the counter opening new C.D's and labelling them with the price. "Can I help you with anything?" He asked.

"No thanks, I'm just browsing."

"Well if you need a hand with anything, just ask."

"Not a problem."

He browsed through the vinyl records in the store for about an hour. He liked the feeling of being in a music store, the music playing the old guitars and signed records up on the wall. He missed his guitar and playing music. It had been in its case for six months now. The entire Summer it was locked up, he usually spent his entire Summer playing it, and writing music.

He arrived home at about five, and he surely hoped that his Grandparents weren't the type who ate at some ridiculous hour of five thirty or something. He walked in, and didn't smell food through the house, so he took it as a good sign.

"Hey Grandma, did you have a nice day?" He asked as he walked in the door.

"I did actually, how was school? Did you make any friends?"

"To early to tell." He smiled back at her. "Did you need any help with dinner?"

"No dear, that's fine. We're having lasagne; it will be ready about seven." His Grandma smiled at her.

Chris could smell it already; his Grandmothers lasagne was his favourite food. "I'll be down at seven then."

He walked upstairs to his room, everything was still in boxes and he really didn't want to unpack. It would bring back memories that he didn't want to resurface. But he did it anyway, it was either now or later, and he figured if he got it done it would be over and done with.

He'd unpacked nearly everything now, but there were two things left. His guitar and all of his music things, books and lyrics. Then there was a box full of photos, he decided to leave these things unopened, he wasn't ready for that yet.

Cheerleading practice was overly hard today. She was captain of the team, but that didn't make a difference. Ever since they'd decided to get a coach so they could compete in competitions, practice had been torture. She loved every minute of it though.

She hopped out of her baby Blue Volkswagen and got her stuff out of the car. She noticed someone sitting on the front step of her next door neighbour's house. It was someone young, a boy, and someone who looked like the new guy Chris.

She put her stuff on her front porch and walked next door. "Chris?" She asked.

"Oh, hey Brooke." His lips turned up at her.

"So you're my new neighbour hey." She said as she sat down next to him.

"I guess so." He smiled.

"I never knew Whitey had a Grandson."

"Whitey?" Chris smirked.

"Oh, Whitey as in Coach Durham, everyone calls him Whitey. Didn't you know?" She asked him.

Chris laughed. _Whitey, why would they call him Whitey?_ "No, I didn't. Why does everyone call him Whitey?"

"Um, it's a long story I think. Everyone calls him Whitey, well behind his back." She paused. "Don't tell him I said that..."

"Oh, I think I might just have to." Chris teased.

Brooke looked shocked. "You wouldn't, would you?"

"Yeah, he'll be home soon. You could tell him with me?" He nudged her.

"But, I mean, he knows we call him Whitey anyway..."

"It's OK!" Chris laughed. "I wouldn't say anything, but I am going to ask him why and I can report back to you."

Brooke laughed. "Well, well. It's been good doing business with you fine sir." She saluted.

Chris laughed again. "Night neighbour." He winked.

"Goodnight." Brooke smiled and stood up. "Welcome to Tree Hill by the way." She said and walked over to her own home.


End file.
